Low Carb works for me!!

I recently lost 61 pounds on low carb. I hit my main goal and was able to set a new smaller goal. I was so excited, but I was getting burnt out on low carb. So I decided to make the switch to Weight Watchers. YES, I knew without a doubt I would gain a few pounds back due to the inclusion of carbs and sugars in that diet, and I was okay with that. At least, I thought I was. I kept my calories under control, including counting calories for fruits and veggies, even though they are 0 points. I still gained back 4-6 pounds. I thought I'd be okay with that, but I wasn't. It was frustrating to me. I found myself over engulfing in snacks, like eating almost an entire back of pretzels when I should have only had 36 sticks. More than once. Yeah... bad habits never die... So back to low carb I went! It's been about 1.5, 2 weeks and I'm finally back where I was weight wise. I really hoped WW would be more appropriate for me for maintenance, something I could stick with for the rest of my life. I'm not sure how much more weight I would have gained. I don't want to know. But I do know low carb works and works well for my body. I find that I don't have *as much* cravings and uncontrollable desire to binge. I think I will still allow myself the occasional apple or handful of grapes, but I think this is it for me. It's a really good thing I love, love, love chicken and eggs!!

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I'm not sure what your carb goals are, but you can include much of the carby foods in small quantities if you have a goal of say 150g/day.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @sibeluver03 thanks for sharing your initial and renewed success with LCHF. I have been eating this way for three years and enjoy it. I love nuts. A company that we do business with sent like a 3 pound container of all kinds of coated pecans yesterday and I went overboard after eating the first one however I did not binge until they were all gone like in years past.

    This morning I woke and could not make a fist with my left hand due to the pain and the right hand was less involved. I eat LCHF for pain management and this morning drove that point home.

    The ones that were chocolate coated I put in a clean coffee plastic jar. The glazed coated ones I put in a large bowl and filled, stirred and dumped the water over and over dissolving and flushing away the sugar based coats and now have them out drying.

    I do pig out on fruit from time to time but for the most part I keep carbs under 50 grams most days.

    For sure I could be back to the high carb way of eating in a heart beat but thankfully the butt kicking pain keeps returning the next day when I do. :)
  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    Maybe there’s a middle ground... have you considered increasing your carbs just a bit, by maybe 5-10 grams/day each week, until you reach a balance that seems livable life-long, but doesn’t trigger the cravings.
  • camtosh
    camtosh Posts: 898 Member
    Yup, most of us have learned the hard way that overindulging in old favorite snacks will result in carb cravings returning with a vengeance, and added lbs too. The best lesson to teach how to kcko. I just lost a battle with a timtams package this week.... sigh.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Cheesy567 wrote: »
    Maybe there’s a middle ground... have you considered increasing your carbs just a bit, by maybe 5-10 grams/day each week, until you reach a balance that seems livable life-long, but doesn’t trigger the cravings.

    This. I've been eating about 50 total/day throughout 2017 and haven't had any issues with carb cravings or hunger returning. YMMV. Broccoli carbs don't seem to make me crave cookies and ice cream. A sweet potato is sweet enough. I no longer add brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. ;) I buy a larger one and cut off a portion. My husband eats the rest.
  • swezeytba
    swezeytba Posts: 624 Member
    For me keto has been the only way of eating where I can maintain without having to track every single macro.....It has given me a freedom from food that I never thought I would be able to have. If I even start letting the carbs creep in I start getting the cravings and eating all the bad stuff again.
  • Flybeetle
    Flybeetle Posts: 387 Member
    Are you eating low carb, or LCHF? I don't want to be fanatic who thinks there is only ONE right way of eating, but it might just be the thing that allows you to stop logging and craving altogether. Fat is crazy like that, and perhaps it's worth a try if low carb itself doesn't seem easy sustainable long-term, because it sounds that's why you went to WW, is that right?
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    There's also carb cycling as an option, if you just can't sustain low carb all the time but you want to low carb for weight loss...however, it can definitely be a craving trigger, so it's not for everyone.